Clothes drier



ocr. 19, 194s. M'. l.. PUGH 2,451,692

CLOTHES DRIER Filed lFeb. 19, 1946 l A ZSheetS-Sheet 1 ffy.

Bgm 94 32a/MM Oct. 19, 1948. M PUGH 2,451,692

CLOTHES DRIER Filed Feb. 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jima/Liar. L/lfl erZ fz 11.27 afi.

lijm /uwm @y Patented Oct. 19, y 1948 'UNITED s'rli'rrssI PATENT OFFICEv M... i Application Ielrul' No. 648,729

. l I This invention relates .to clothes drying apparatus which uses radiantheat such as that furnished by near infrared ray lamps or open resistance type heaters as a means to evaporate moisture quickly from clothes being dried therein, and also wherein a cold water sprayis the primary medium used to remove moisture and lint fromthe air circulating through the drier.

One object of invention is to provide a clothes` drier which is inexpensive to manufacture and economical to operate, yet which dries clothes fast enough that successive batches from a domestic washing machine may be introduced and removed therefrom as fast as the machine will wash them with assurance that the clothes are thoroughly dried without wrinkles and that moisture and lint from the air in the drier is not discharged into the room to make it uncomfortably humid and unsightly.

Another object is to provide a clothes drier in whichair is recirculated and its moisture content reduced, so that it effectively dries the clothing,

primarily by means of a cold water spray for con` densing moisture out of the recirculated which water is then led to a drain.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a clothes drier in which a cold water spray not only removes moisture and lint from the air in the drier, but also eiIects circulation of the all',

air in the drier by its jet-like action.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a novel precipitator for removing any excess water from the recirculated air prior to the time it contacts the clothes and after it haspassed through a water spray.

With these and other objects inhview, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my clothes drier whereby the obj ectscontemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in 'my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a. vertical view partially in -section of a clothes drier embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the clothes drier shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial view partially in section of another embodiment of the invention; and,

Fig. 4 is a partial view partially ingsection of still another embodiment of the invention.

Referring specifically tothe drawing for a detailed description of the invention numeral Il -a perforate cylindrical 2 wall I2 and a collar like opening I2 at one end thereof. The opening I3 lregisters with a stationary collar I4 on the housing M which is normally closed by a door I5. The door maybe opened for introducing clothes into the drum II through the opening I3.

'I'he drum II has series of axially extending ribs Il for the purpose of tumbling the clothing within the drum as it rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, being driven by motor M.

- The ltumbling action positions the clothes approximately at the dotted line indicated at I1 opposite a reilector I2. Within the reector I8 reslstance heating elements I9 may be positioned.

Obviously, infra-red lamps may be used in place of resistance heaters.

The foregoing construction is s-ubstantia1ly the same as that shown in my copeiding application Serial Number 528,515, led March 29, 1944, now Patent #2,434,886. In addition to the disclosure in that application, I provide the following described mechanism for recirculating the air within thel housing lo and removing moisture and lint therefrom.

Referring to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, an insulated housing 2| is provided for the drum Il and has an extension 22 thereon. A drain 23 is positioned below the extension 22. A second housing 24 which is curved and spaced from the housing 2l to provide a passage 25 extends between the extension 22 and the reflector I8. Air is circulated in the direction of the broken arrows in Fig. 1, that is,

Afrom the drum Il through the extension 22, up

vide a water spray 20 from nozzles 21 which nomleis positioned at the bottom of passage 25 and is directed upwardly therethrough. Air is thereby circulated through the path described Aby the jet-like action of the nozzles and water designates an outer housing or casing within spray. Cold water is supplied from any suitable source through a valve and conduit 30 in a man ner later described. l

Furthermore, the hot moisture laden air emanating ,from the extension 22 has most of the moisture removed therefrom by passing through 'the cold water spray, In addition any lint in the air is removed by the water spray 26 and is conveyed to the drain 23. The air is, of course, heated again when it passes over heating element I9 and while in the drum II, since the heating element throws most of its heat into the drum. I also provide a precipitator 28 in the passage ad in the form of a plurality of layers of coarse .In this case a drain @il is positioned at the lower corner of the housing Ed. The action ci the noz-` zle, water spray and coils and precipitator is the same as described with respect to Figs. l. and 2.

in Fig. d, the outer housing ad forming passage 25 is also rectangular in shape and has a bottom wall 3d which slopes slightly upwardly. In this embodiment, the drain 2d is not shown, but is in the same position as shown in Fig. 1. Again the action of the spray, the nozzle and the coils and precipitator are the same as described with respect to Fig. l.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided an improved clothes drier wherein a water spray effects circulation of air and also dehydrates and cleans the air reclrculated in the drier.

Certain changes may be made in practicing my invention without departing from the spirit and purpose thereof and it is accordingly my intention to cover by my claims any modied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents' which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a clothes drier, a casing having a clothes receiving opening in the front thereof, a drum rotatable in said casing and having a clothes receiving opening registering with the clothes receiving opening of said casing, means for rotating said drum, said drum being perforate to permit the circulation of air therethrough, a source of heat for heating the circulating air, a duct for air extending from adjacent the bottom of said drum to a location adjacent the top of said drum, and being in communication therewith at both ends, said source of heat also being disposed adjacent to the top of said drum, a cold water supply, a jet nozzle near the bottom of 4said duct for directing a cold water spray upwardly in said duct to forcibly circulate air from the bottom of said drum to n the top thereof through said duct and to remove moisture and lint from the air so circulated and means for removing the water from the spray from the bottom of the casing.

2. In a clothes drier, a casing having a clothes receiving opening in the front thereof, a drum rotatable in said casing and having a clothes receiving opening registering with the clothes receiving opening of said casing, means for rotating said drum, said drum being Perforate to permit the circulation of air therethrough, a source of heat for heating the circulating air, a duct for air having an inlet and an outlet, and extending from one portion of said drum to another portion thereof, said duct being in communication therewith at both ends, said source of heat being disposed adjacent the outlet of said duct, a cold water supply, a jet nozzle near the inlet of said duct for directing a cold water spray toward the outlet of the duct to withdraw air from the drum, remove moisture and lint therefrom and force said dried air past said. heating means into the drum, and said duct havn ing side walls, the wall adjacent the drum being curved to substantially follow the contour of said drum, and the other wall being rectangular in shape and havinga corner disposed adjacent said outer casing and means for draining water from said jet nozzle from said duct.

3. In a clothes drier, a casing having a clothes receiving opening in the front thereof, a drum rotatable in said casing and having a clothes receiving opening registering with the clothes receiving opening of said casing, means for rotating said drum, said drum being perorate to permit the circulation of air therethrough, a source of heat for heating the circulating air, a duct for air having an inlet and an outlet, and

extending from one portion of said drum. to another portion thereof, said duct being in communication therewith at .both ends, said source of heat being disposed adjacent the outlet of said duct, a cold water supply, a jet nozzle near the inlet of said duct for directing a cold water spray toward the outlet of the duct to withdraw air from the drum, remove moisture therefrom and force said dried air past said heating means into the drum, said duct having walls, lthe wall adjacent the drum being curved to substantially follow the contour of said drum, and the other Wall being rectangular in shape and comprising a bottom wall portion and a side wall portion, said bottom wall sloping downwardly from the bottom of the drum, and a drain at the corner of the outer wall.

4. In a clothes drier, a casing having a clothes receiving opening in the front thereof, a drum rotatable in said casing and having a clothes receiving opening registering with the clothes receiving opening of said casing, means for rotating said drum, said drum being perforate to permit the circulation of air therethrough, a source of heat for heating the circulating air, a duct for air having an inlet and an outlet, and extending from one portion of said drum to another portion thereof, said duct being in communication therewith at both ends, said source of heat being disposed adjacent the outlet of said duct, a cold water supply, a jet nozzle near the inlet of said duct for directing a cold water spray toward the outlet of the duct to withdraw air from the drum, remove moisture therefrom and force said dried air past said heating means into the drum, said duct having walls, the wall adjacent the drum being curved to substantially follow the contour of said drum, and the other wall being rectangular in shape and comprising a bottom wall portion and a side wall portion, said bottom wall portion sloping upwardly from the bottom of the drum, and a drain adjacent the lower end of said bottom wall portion.

5. In a clothes drier, a casing having a clothes receiving opening in the front thereof, a drum rotatable in said casing and having a clothes receiving opening registering with the clothes receiving opening of said casing, means for rotating said drum, said drum being perforate to permit the circulation of air therethrough, a source of heat for heating the circulating air, a duct for air extending from adjacent the bottom of said drum to a location adjacent the top of said drum, and being in communication therewith at both ends, said source of heat also being disposed adjacent to the top of said drum in said duct, a cold water supply, a jet nozzle near the bottom of said duct for directing a cold water spray upwardly in said duct to forcibly circulate air from the bottom of said drum to the top thereof through said duct yand to remove moisture from the air so circulated, and means for draining the water from said iet noml'e from said duct;

6. In a clothes drier, a casing having a clothes receiving opening therein, a drum rotatable in said casing and havinga clothes receiving opening registrable with the clothes receiving opening in saidcasing, an air conveying conduit partially surrounding said drum and providing upper and .lower chambers communicating with said said drum being perforated to aiford circulation of air therethrough, a source of heat for heating said circulating air, water injection means disposed in said lower chamber and directed upwardly to effect forced circulation of air out of the lower portion of the drum, upwardly through said conduit and into the upper portion of the drum, said source of heat being disposed between the water iniection means and said drum and means for draining water from said lower chamber.

7. In a clothes drier, a casing having a clothes receiving opening therein, a drum rotatable in said casing and having a clothes receiving opening registrable with the clothes receivingv opening in said casing, an-air conveying conduit partially surrounding said drum and providing upper and lower chambers communicating with 'said drum, said drum being perforated to aiford circulation of air therethrough, a source of heat ,for heating said circulating air and water injection means disposed in said lower chamber, directed upwardly to eifect forced circulation of air out of the lower portion of the drum, upwardly through said conduit and into the upper portion of the drum, said water injection means also being etlec.

tive to remove moisture and lint from the air emanating from said drum, said source of heat being disposed between the water injection means and said drum and means for draining water from said lower chamber.

8. The apparatus claimed in claim 6, wherein a moisture .precipitator is disposed between the water injection means and the source of heat.v

. MERLIN L. PUGH.

REFERENCES crrlm The followingl references are of record in the die of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Ferris Aug. 2?, 194e 

